Significance of the ghee-filled coconut offered at Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple

One of the most important offering at the SabarimalaAyyappaTemple in Kerala is the ghee-filled coconut. The ghee taken in the coconut is poured on the idol and the coconut is thrown into the ‘homakundam’ in front of the temple.

Symbolically, the ‘ghee’ in the coconut represents the ‘soul.’ And the human body is represented by the coconut. After the arduous trek, when a devotee stands face to face with Lord Ayyappa – the ghee poured on the Lord symbolically represents the merging of the individual soul with the universal soul or the ‘Jivatma’ with ‘Paramatma.’

Finally, the empty coconut, which represents the body, is consumed by the fire in the ‘homakundam.’